The present invention is related to truck bed covers for enclosing the cargo area of a vehicle, and more particularly to a truck bed rim frame having a removable express access flap to be mounted over the rim of a truck bed for the dual purposes of supporting a cover and creating a storage compartment in the rear portion of the truck bed under the cover.
There are many types of vehicles, such as pickup trucks, which include a rear cargo bed which is open at its top. These cargo beds consist of generally parallel side walls which, together with the tailgate, form a truck bed.
It is often desirable to cover the truck bed and its contents for protection from the elements and for security purposes. A cover is also known to reduce tailgate drag. Moreover, the cover may enhance the appearance of the vehicle overall.
The prior art teaches many kinds of truck bed covers. They include both soft flexible covers and hard truck caps. The flexible covers may or may not be mounted on a truck bed rim frame. Frequently utilized is a flexible tonneau cover that snaps directly, by means of snap caps arranged around its periphery, onto snap studs which are individually drilled into the truck bed walls. One disadvantage of this method of covering the truck bed is that numerous drillings into the truck bed walls are required, making these areas more vulnerable to rust and to damage generally.
Another method of covering the truck bed is to first attach a frame to the truck bed rim using a minimal number of screws. The cover is then attached to the frame. One disadvantage of the additional frame is that the part of the frame that rests above the tailgate bars full use of the truck bed when the cover is not being used.
Yet another method of covering the truck bed is by means of a more permanent, hard truck cap.
There is a common problem with all of the above described truck bed covers, particularly with covers that do not elevate above the rim of the truck bed walls. Access to whatever is stored in the truck bed is made via the tailgate and access to some of the storage area is remote. If the contents of the truck bed slide forward during transit, they become difficult to reach without crawling on one's belly between the floor of the truck bed and the cover. The only other option to removing the stored items is to remove the cover, which is both time consuming and inconvenient. Therefore, a unique problem is created when a cover is used, particularly one that is not elevated above the rim of the truck bed walls. This problem does not arise when a cover is not used. While stored items may slide around in an uncovered truck bed, they are still easily accessible by reaching over the truck bed walls from the nearest point outside of the truck.